1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of cook and serving ware, more particularly food pans made of high heat conducting metal and which are used to heat or chill food contained therein.
2. The Relevant Technology
Buffet style dining has become very popular due to the variety and/or quantity of food that is made available to the customer. Customarily, various food items are placed into individual serving pans and then placed within correspondingly shaped and sized wells of stationary or mobile tables. The food is kept at appropriately hot, warm or cold temperatures depending on the type of food item. Failure to maintain the food at the appropriate temperature may result in spoilage or loss of customer appeal. In many cases, the serving tables themselves are equipped with heating or cooling units that input heat or cold from the serving table to the serving pots or platters. In this way, a food item can remain in a serving pan for an extended period of time while remaining at the appropriate temperature. Preventing spoilage and maintaining customer appeal reduces food waste, which increases profits to the owner and reduces the price to the customer. Moreover, state or local health codes may require discarding of food that has not spoiled nonetheless if the food is not maintained above or below a prescribed temperature.
Serving pans have been made from ceramics, metals and polymers. Ceramics and some metals such as cast iron are often preferred for their homey appearance (“looks just how grandma used to serve it”). One down side of large pans made from ceramics and used in buffet style dining places is that they are relatively thick and heavy, making it awkward and difficult to rapidly carry them to and from the serving table. Another down side is their tendency to insulate food from the surrounding environment. While such insulation properties might be beneficial at home to help keep food appropriately hot or cold while it is being served to the family, in the context of buffet style dining places highly insulating pans may detrimentally inhibit the transfer of heat or cold from the serving table. The result may be wasted energy, or worse, delayed heating or cooling, possibly resulting in spoilage or loss of customer appeal.
Serving pans have also been made of plastic. An advantage of plastic pans is they are generally much thinner and lighter than similarly sized ceramic and cast iron pans. One disadvantage is that plastic is typically an even better insulator from heat or cold than ceramic and cast iron, thus inhibiting the transfer of heat or cold from the serving table to the food item within the pan. Another disadvantage is that plastic can have a “cheap” appearance and can become discolored or hazed over time, thus reducing customer appeal. Yet another disadvantage is the propensity of plastic to become stained with food (e.g., white plastic can develop reddish blotches when exposed to tomato-based sauces). Anything that becomes visually unappealing to the customer can consciously or subconsciously reduce interest in a particular food item or even in the entire eating establishment.
Serving pans made from high heat transfer materials have been used, such as stainless steel and aluminum. One advantage of materials such as stainless steel and aluminum is their high strength, which allows them to be substantially thinner walled and therefore lighter weight than similarly sized cast iron and ceramic pans. Another advantage of pans made from high heat transfer materials generally is their ability to maximize heat and cold transfer from the serving table to the food item. Of course, this aspect is also a disadvantage as materials that rapidly conduct heat tend to feel hotter to the touch and can more rapidly burn a restaurant worker than more insulating materials, thereby requiring the use of hot pads or gloves when none might otherwise be required, or thicker hot pads or gloves where thinner, less bulky ones might have otherwise sufficed. Stainless steel and aluminum pans might also convey a high tech, industrial look due to their silvery hue. In the context of buffet-style dining, however, such look is often disfavored as being insufficiently “homey”. As discussed above relative to plastic pans, anything that is visually unappealing to the customer can consciously or subconsciously reduce customer interest.